September 6, 2011
Contact: Mike Bento                                
bentom@cisnet.org

Arlington, Va. – Philanthropedia, a nonprofit aimed at helping donors give more strategically, has recommended Communities In Schools as a high-impact nonprofit working with at-risk youth in the U.S. Philanthropedia was recently acquired by GuideStar, the industry leader in nonprofit data with information on more than 1.8 million nonprofits. As a result, GuideStar has a national audience of millions of professionals, funders, advisors and individuals.

The organization relied on a team of nearly 90 experts to classify Communities In Schools as a 2011 Top Nonprofit. In their research, the team found that “Communities In Schools benefits from strong evaluation” and “Evaluation studies show that students in Communities In Schools partner schools perform better academically and socially.”

To read more about what the experts are saying about Communities In Schools, visit the Expert Reviews section.

In addition to this new recognition, Communities In Schools has already received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and is accredited by the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance, meeting all 20 of the Better Business Bureau’s standards for charity accountability.

“At Communities In Schools, we rely on strong fiscal management to strategically use donor funds, allowing us to give the 1.3 million young people we serve a better chance of staying in school and achieving in life,” said Daniel Cardinali, president, Communities In Schools. “We are honored to receive this latest recognition as it gives us additional credibility in the eyes of millions of potential supporters who will allow us to continue carrying out this mission.”

Each year, Communities In Schools surveys every affiliate and every site to compile detailed data on the results we produce across a range of educational, social and behavioral indicators. Those results are then published, and used to drive further improvement and innovation. The most recent results can be found here.

Communities In Schools surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Through a school-based site coordinator, Communities In Schools connects students and their families to critical community resources, tailored to local needs. Working in nearly 3,000 schools, in the most challenged communities in 25 states and the District of Columbia, Communities In Schools serves more than 1.3 million young people and their families every year. It has been shown through an independent evaluation to be the nation’s only dropout prevention organization proven to both increase graduation rates and reduce dropout rates.